The Diefenbach benches came with a nifty thumbwheel on each vise that resided in a forstnered hole on the vise. You could then spin it tight against the bench to prevent racking. I can’t find a big enough thumbwheel for this purpose. I’m thinking knurled thumbwheel 2” outer diameter and tapped for 1/4” or 5/8” all thread? I can’t find a picture of the device on Google but I saw it in one of the workbench books. I currently use a shopmade one similar to the one Lee Valley sells. I’d like to have the anti-racking function integrated into my bench vises. Any ideas? My Google fu has failed me and local machinists won’t touch the project. Thx!

A threaded rod is attached to the vise on one end and the rod passes through a hole the bench as you open or close the vise. When you have a board in the other end of the vise, To prevent racking you spin the thumb wheel on the rod on the other side of the vise until it contacts the bench. The thumb wheel prevents the side without the board from racking. Am I making any sense? Oh wait, I do have a picture! This is the diefenbach anti-racking device:

My vise racks despite being fairlynrobust. Hmm. I’m wondering if I could cut aluminum or steel flat stock with a bimetal holesaw on my drill press then tap the disc? Then how to do the knurling. I’m gonna give it a try m

The threads in 1/4” aluminum might not be very robust. You could use a good diameter all thread rod and a steel nut. The nut could be epoxied to anything for the wheel. The nut would be taking the force from the vise, not the disc.

How is the rod attached to the front jaw of the vise? Can it be easily removed? If not it would limit the use of that end of the jaws.

I don’t believe that would be much of a problem… there wont be a lot of force on them as it’s just there to keep the free side of the vice from being pushed back. As for the knurl, the ones pictured are not knurled… the score marks on the outer edge could easily be made using a metal file, dremel tool with a cut off wheel, hack saw, etc…

Cheers,Brad

-- Brad in FL - To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid